Yager withdraws as candidate for nomination to TVA board

In a letter to U.S. Sens. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker, state Sen. Ken Yager has withdrawn from consideration for nomination to the TVA Board of Directors by President Trump.

There had been some question raised as to whether a state senator could legally sit on the TVA board without resigning as a legislator. Yager doesn’t address that specifically in his letter, but says he has decided that “priority attention” should go to his legislative duties, which include chairing both the Senate State and Local Government Committee and the joint House-Senate Fiscal Review Committee.

Here’s text of the letter, addressed to Sens. Alexander and Corker:

Dear Senators:

After careful consideration, I am asking that my name be withdrawn from consideration for selection to the Board of the Tennessee Valley Authority.

I very much appreciate any efforts you made on my behalf to encourage my selection to this most important position. However, with my appointment as Chairman of the Joint Fiscal Review Committee of the Tennessee General Assembly, in addition to my Chairmanship of the State Senate State and Local Government Committee, I believe it necessary to provide priority attention to these key responsibilities of our State Government.

With your wise counsel, I am certain the President will nominate a highly qualified candidate to serve on the TVA Board, subject to Senate confirmation.